Safety signal system.



No. 795,137. PAT-ENTBD JULY 18, 1905. 11V. KING.

SAFETY SIGNAL SYSTEM.

.APPLICATION FILED DBC.14, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ANDREW n awumn m.. nnmLrnmMPums wumm'row. n n

No. 795,137. PATBNTED JULY I8, 1905.

P. V. KING. SAFETY SIGNAL SYSTEM.

AIPLIGATION FILED 1126.14. 1904.

" z SHBBTSl-SHBBT 2.

NTTED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAFETY SIGNAL SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,137, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed. December 14, 1904. Serial No. 236,869.

T @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK V. KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winslow, in the county of Navajo, Territory of Arizona, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Signal Devices, of which the following is a specificatlon.

In the operation of the trainsupon railroads train orders are given to the conductor and engineer of the train directing them to meet and pass trains at certain `points on the road or to perform some other act at certain specified points. It is always the intention of the trainmen tocomply with such orders; but it sometimes happens that owing to different causes train and engine men forget that they have to meet and pass another train at acertain point on the road and run past such point and before they realize it they are in collision with the other train; and it is the object of my invention to provide mechanism whereby when the predetermined point has been reached a signal will be operated in the cab or car, so that the engineers or conductors attention will be called to the order which he has received from the train-despatcher at some station back on the road, whereby he will again read his order and will thereby be prevented from passing such predetermined point without carrying out such order. I accomplish this object by the mechanism described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a locomotive and tender, partly broken away, equipped with my signal device. Fig. 2 is a front view of so much of my signal mechanism as shows that portion of it which closes the circuit of the signal, the case being in section. Fig. 3 is a side view of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged detail views of the movable indicator-points and closure-arms. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail of the connection between ytwo shafts. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the signal and Yits circuit and means whereby the circuit is closed.

In the drawings a battery lO is located at any convenient lpointl upon the tender or engine, preferably in the engine-cab under one of the seats therein. One pole of the battery is connected by line l1 to the signal-bell 12 or other audible or visual signal placed in the engine-cab. Line 13 connects the bell with a shaft 14 of the sprocket-wheel 15. Over this sprocket-wheel and operated thereby is a steel band 16, which carries a closure and indicatorarm 17, which is adapted to engage any one of the adjustable signal-points 18 when such signal-points are thrown into the operative position, as hereinafter explained. This band passes over an idler If desired, the closure-arm could be carried by any other flexible electrical conductor. These signal-points are connected by line 19 with the other pole of the battery and when engaged by the closure and indicator-arm operate the signal, as hereinafter explained. Upon the shaft of the sprocket-wheel are mounted the mitergears 20 and 21, which are slidable upon the shaft 14, but rotate therewith. These gears are adapted to mesh with gear 22, which is operated by a train'of wheels 23. The shaft 24 of the outer member of this train passes through the iioor of the cab and is provided with a miter-gear 25, which meshes with gear 26, mounted on the end of shaft 27. This shaft is provided with a socket 28, as best shown in Fig. 7, into which is received the reduced end 29' of shaft 29, that carries on the end thereof miter-gear 30, which meshes with gear 31, which last gear is rigidly mounted on shaft 32, which shaft carries sprocketwheel 33, that is driven by chain 34, which chain passes over sprocket-wheel 35, mounted on axle 36 of the forward truck of the tender 37. A roller 38, mounted in the end of bellcrank lever 39, bears against the sprocketchain 34 to take up the slack therein. This wheel 'is kept spring-pressed by spring 40, which bears against the short arm of said bellcrank lever.

In the operation of my device it will be understood miter-gears 2O and 2l are shifted by means of lever 44 to engage with or disengage from gear 22. When these ruiter-gears are disengaged from gear 22, band 16 can be rotated to bring the closure-arm to any desired point, thereby correcting any slight inaccuracy of travel in such band if any should oc- IOO cur. By means of this shifting device the closure and indicator arm can be made to travel backward when the locomotive arrives at the end of its district and turns on tu rn-table and again proceeds in a reverse direction to which it first traveled. It will be understood that all of the points are insulated, so that the alarm-circuit can only be closed through the closure and indicator arm, that the train of wheels and operating-gear are so arranged that the steel band which carries the closure and indicator arm will not make a complete revolution during the run of the engine, and that there may be as many signal-points appropriately marked as it may be desired to have some predetermined act performed at such points. The closure and indicator arm will be carried over a face-plate representing the district traversed by locomotive or train, each mile-post and station and other desired points being represented upon this face-plate, so that this closure and indicator arm travels over the face-plate identically the same as the engine or cab travels over the line of road..

Now we will say that a locomotive or car is traveling from Los Angeles to San Bernardino and it is desired to meet another train at Monrovia. All of the indicator-keys 4:1 are pushed inwardly, as shown in Fig. 6, except the indicator-key which is marked Monrovia, which is pulled out, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby permitting the adjustable indicator-point 18, which is carried by lever 42, to be projected by spring 43 to a position to be engaged by the closure and indicator arm 17 as soon as the locomotive or car has reached the station ll/Ionrovia, which causes the sounding of the alarm-bell, thereby calling the engineers attention to the fact that he has an order to do something at this station. He then again reads his order and linds that he must pass a train at this point. After the train is met the indicator-key is pushed to its closed position, as shown in Fig. 6, which carries the indicator-point 18 so that it may not be engaged by the closure-arm. It is the custom of railroads to assign engines and certain cars to certain districts of from fifty to two hundred miles. My device is constructed to operate within such district, a different faceplate showing mile-posts, stations, and other points desired for each respective district as they appear upon the ground being required for each district separately.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a safe and reliable signal device by means of which no matter how dark the night may be or how stormy the weather the engineers or trainmans attention is called to the fact that he has an order to do something at the predetermined point at which the signal-bell has rung and may see his location shown on face-plate, and it is only necessary that when he receives his order to perform this predetermined act that he shall set his indicatorkey for that point, so that it will be engaged by the closure and indicator arm as the same is moved by the travel of the train. By the travel of the closure and indicator arm upon the face-plate the exact location of the engine or car at any point on the district is correctly indicated at all times. This feature is of special value at night and in stormy weather and fog. It will also be seen that no matter how many orders the engineer or trainman may receive at one time for different points he can as soon as he receives the orders set his indicator-keys for each and every one of the different points and that when such points are suczessively reached the signal will be operate Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a signal device for use upon railroadtrains an electrically-operated signal in the cab or car having a normally open circuit; adjustable indicator-points connected in one side of said circuit; a traveling closure-arm connected to the other side of said circuit, and means to cause the travel of said closure-arm.

2. In a signal device of the character described herein; a battery; a plurality of adjustable indicator-points connected in series to said battery; a traveling closure-arm connected to the other side of said battery, said adjustable indicator-points being adapted to be moved so as to be engaged by said closurearm upon the travel thereof; a signal in said circuit; and means to move said closure-arm.

3. In a signal device of the character described herein; a series of adjustable indicator-points; a battery connected to said indicator-points; a signal connected to the other pole of said battery; a traveling closure-arm connected to said signal, said adjustable indicator-points being adapted to be moved so as to be engaged by said closure-arm upon the travel thereof; and means to move said clo- Sure-arm.

4. In a signal device of the character described herein; a battery; a series of adjustable indicator-points connected to one side of said battery; a signal connected to the other side of said battery; a sprocket-wheel electrically connected to said signal; an electrical conductor operated and carried by said sprocket-wheel; a closure-arm carried by said conductor, said closure-army being adapted to engage said indicator-points when the same are moved into the path of travel of said indicator-arm, whereby the circuit of the alarm is closed and the alarm operated; and means to operate said sprocket-wheel.

5. In a signal device of the character described herein a battery; a series of adjustable indicator-points connected to one side of said battery; a signal connected to the other side of said battery; a sprocket-wheel connected to said signal; an electrical conductor IOO 4operated and Carried by said sprocket-Wheel;

means to shift said miter-gears; a train of Wheels operatively connected to the gear meshing With said ruiter-gears; and means connected with the tender or ear-trueks to operate said train of Wheels.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of December, 1904.

FRANK V. KING.

Witnesses G. E. HARPHAM, MYRTLE JONES. 

